


Static Radio

by Alternatewarning



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Noctis Live, Blind Ignis shows up for a short second but I'm not getting anyone's hopes up by tagging him, I'm not sure why the game just drops the ball on that one but we're talking about it now, M/M, Prompto is a clone, This takes place a few months after the game ends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27133253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alternatewarning/pseuds/Alternatewarning
Summary: After Noctis defeated Ardyn and took the throne, Insonima has been working hard to build itself back up.  There is always work to do for everyone, from citizen to Crownsguard.  Trying to be the king of a kingdom in ruins was a hard task, a busy task, which is why Prompto couldn't really catch his best friend to talk to him in private.  To tell the now-king that his best friend was dying.Whumptober 2020 entry: Numbers 13 and 21 - Breathe In Breathe Out and I don't feel so well/Chronic Pain
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 4
Kudos: 56
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Static Radio

**Author's Note:**

> There may be more chapters to come if people are interested

Prompto hunched over in a corner of the Citadel, covering his mouth with his elbow as he coughed loudly, the force causing his entire body to shake. He was already running late for the meeting he was supposed to attend and this wasn’t helping. After the second round of lung-scarring coughs wracked through his chest, he took a moment to try and compose himself. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, purposefully ignoring the dark red stain that was now setting into his jacket. His jacket was black so no one would notice. After forcing himself to breathe normally he straightened his clothes and went back to panicking about running late.

“When are you planning to tell Noctis?” Prompto was rudely awoken from his daydreaming by Ignis’s soft tone. He blinked, looking around the meeting room. Everyone was filling out already so clearly he’d checked out and missed the last half hour of the meeting. And now it was just him and the advisor leaning against the desk in front of him.

“Tell him...what? Exactly?” Prompto knew he was playing dumb and it would get him absolutely nowhere. If anyone could figure out what was going on with literally no information, it would be Ignis. The older man let the tension hang between them, a silent sigh.

“About your condition. This has already been going on for months. You’re on a strict timeline.” The blond wanted to frown. Some day, just once in his life, he wanted Ignis to be wrong about something. But, as always, he somehow put together all the pieces of a puzzle that no one else seemed to even notice was there just yet. How a blind man managed to figure out something was physically wrong with him was completely beyond his comprehension but he knew better than to try and figure it out. Ignis could do anything he wanted it by stubbornness alone.

“I’ll tell him. Just, the right time hasn’t come up yet. Don’t worry about it.”

“How could I not worry? It is none of my business but Prompto…”

“I know, I’ll tell Noct. Just, gimmie some time.” Prompto knew time was the one thing he didn’t have. And clearly, the advisor knew it as well but he said no more. With a small nod, Ignis excused himself, leaving behind enough doubt in his wake that it didn’t even seem like he left. He was right (he was always right). Time was running out if he was going to tell Noctis. But how did one tell their best friend they were dying?

Normally Prompto would spend his afternoon training, working, taking pictures, or maybe going out drinking. There was a lot left to do to rebuild Insomnia and even the rest of the continent beyond that. But today wasn’t one of those days. Instead, he just went home, half collapsing onto his bed, still in his jacket and shoes. His home was little more than an apartment with a bed, shower, and a fridge but he really didn’t need anything else. Especially not now. Not when every bone in his body felt like it was shattering to pieces under his skin. 

By the time he hit the mattress he was so exhausted that he wasn’t sure if he could even shift into a better position. Every day was getting harder and harder. It hurt to walk, sit, stand, breathe, exist. He was good at hiding it, of course, hiding things was the one thing that Prompto had managed to completely master. Hiding his feelings, hiding his pain. He didn’t want anyone else to worry. But now the pain had transitioned into something a whole lot worse. Thinking of it seemed to remind his body that his lungs were still in his chest and he rolled onto his knees, a sudden string of coughs ripping through his lungs. Since no one was watching he didn’t bother to hide, Prompto just let the blood splatter onto his mattress.

Once the forceful need to cough had finally faded he ended up coughing more, blood clogging his throat. Ignis was right, he was running out of time. He’d already tried potions and magic, nothing made it any better, nothing took the pain away. Prompto even knew why, he just pretended that he didn’t. He wasn’t wounded or ill, he was breaking down. Magitek soldiers weren’t cloned to live long lives. They were supposed to be created and then demonized so quickly it didn’t matter how long their bodies could survive. He was just reaching the end of his shelf life.

Even for Prompto, who had retained best friend status even through ten years of separation, it was hard to get time with Noctis alone. There was always something. And no one could blame him for that. He was rebuilding an entire kingdom, one brick at a time. So when Noctis was running late he couldn’t really hold it against his friend. Instead, he just waited, watching. He’d chosen to meet at the fountain, a landmark for most people, but to them it was special. As teenagers they’d spent a lot of time here, goofing off, talking about school, talking about life. It was where Nocits told him about his marriage to Luna; it was where he told Noctis about how lonely he was sometimes, jealous, that Noctis had so many people who loved him. It seemed like a fitting place to talk.

While he was sitting there, just watching people walk by, a piece of trash was blown by the wind. It hit the gunman in the face who let out a huff, grabbing the plastic with a little more force than necessary. It was an empty chip bag. He almost yelled about people littering a city they were still putting back together when he noticed the bottom of the bag. It had a date stamped on it, the best by date. Prompto ‘hmmed’ under his breath. He was no different from a mass-produced bag of chips. Except he was sticking around way past his best by date.

“Sorry I’m late, what did you want to talk about? I hope it’s qu...Prompto? Are you okay?” Noctis hurried up to his friend, the tone of his voice trailing from rushed to worried. He’d know that whatever Prompto wanted to talk about was serious, he wouldn’t have suggested meeting at the fountain otherwise, but there was clearly something wrong. He looked pale, haggard, in a way that the king had never seen before. And he’d seen his friend chased by daemons, climbing a mountain, running for his life, and kidnapped and tortured by Ardyn.

The blond let out a heavy sigh before lifting his head and smiling at his friend, even if it didn’t meet his eyes. He tossed the empty bag over his shoulder, letting the wind carry it away.

“I’m fine.” The lie deflated before it even left his mouth. “Okay, I’m not exactly fine. But that’s why I wanted to talk. Um…” He bit down on his lip, trying to sort out of how to say this. He should have decided that ahead of time but good ideas were never his strong suit.

“Ya know how when stuff gets mass produced it’s not necessarily very high quality?” Prompto offered what seemed like a change of subject. Noctis slowly walked over and sat next to him on the edge of the fountain. Just like when they were in high school.

“Yeah. Prompto…”

“Well, if you remember, I um. I kinda…” Blue eyes looked up and met the king’s looking back at him. He wanted to just leave off there, let the rest stay unsaid. The look, the pity in Noctis’s eyes said that he knew where this was going, he understood. But he didn’t stop Prompto, he let him continue. He wanted him to continue. He needed to head the words.

“I’m dying, Noct. I’m breaking down. It’s been over a year and it’s just getting, well, bad. Like real bad. And I-” Prompto felt himself get cut off by a sensation against his mouth. It took his brain much too long to register that he was no longer talking because he was being kissed. It took even longer for his brain to catch up on why this was such a bad idea, but he ignored that part of his inner monologue and just kissed back.

“I’m not going to let you die.” Nocits spoke but Prompto barely heard it through the blood rushing by his ears. He could still feel the cool lips against his, the scratch of Noctis’s stumble against his cheek.

“We, you, um, what just happened?” The gunman looked around, almost expecting someone to jump out with a video camera. But nothing happened. A few passers-by were giving him an indecipherable look but that much was to be expected. The king had just kissed him. Suddenly. In public.

“Prompto.” Noctis took one of his hands, intertwining their fingers like lovesick teenagers. “I’m not going to let you die. I want to know why you didn’t tell me before but I’m sure you had your reasons. I’m going to fight tooth and nail for you, you know that. So come on. I’m sure we can figure something out.”

For a few short seconds Prompto just blinked. He’d thought about this conversation all night. He’d planned out what to say, not that he’d remembered any of his plans once he started talking, and he had tried to prepare himself for Noct’s response. He was prepared for sadness, anger, disappointment. Not for a kiss. Not for the king to look him in the eyes and promise to try and find a way to help him.

“Noct, I mean, um, thanks?” He couldn’t help but smile. It didn’t matter how much it hurt, how much he spent every day wanted nothing more than for it to end because then he could go back to bed, none of that mattered. Not compared to this. To Noct smiling at him, holding on just tight enough that it said ‘I’m not letting go’. 

Just as Prompto stood up so they could walk back to the Citadel together he felt it. The familiar tickle. It started as nothing more than an annoyance but blossomed into a full-blown need in only a few seconds. He pulled his hand away from the king’s long enough to cover his mouth as he started to cough, hacking loudly as his entire body trembled with each breath. He felt droplets of blood splatter across his fingers as black dots started to appear in his vision. He couldn’t stop coughing.

“Come on Prom, you’re okay. Come on, breathe!” Noctis helped him kneel on the ground, his entire world out of focus. All he could pay attention to was the burn in his chest and the wet droplets against his hands. He had to hold on, just a little bit longer. He wasn’t going to let himself die, not after Noctis, not after he realized that he might actually have a chance.

“Come on, Prom, breathe. You’re okay just keep breathing. We need help, can someone get us help!” Noctis yelled to the people around them, a few of which were quickly running off. Hopefully to get someone. The king felt his friend fading in his arms. He was coughing less and less, but not because he didn’t need to, but because he was passing out.

“Prompto!” Noctis lifted the other man in his arms, just as he saw some of the new Crownsguard rushing over. Maybe they couldn’t save him just yet, but if they could just keep him alive then they would have time. They just needed more time.


End file.
